To this day, one of my favorite Halloween’s involved an army of zombiefied women and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” In 2013 I had the privilege of organizing a flash mob for the streets of Oakland via the one and only Hipline dance studio.  Stopping traffic, playing tribute to Mr. MJ, and being joined by an amazing group of dancing women on ghouls night was epic. “Thriller” now holds a place in my heart.  Here is why it holds a place in the worlds:


…cause this is THRILLER!
By Ziva Emtiyaz

            With Halloween around the corner, the festivities are brewing and Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit “Thriller” can be heard blaring in dance studios worldwide.  The horror themed pop song was used to produce one of the most influential music videos of all time...  ...let’s dig up some of its lesser-known details and shine some light on its dark and chilling dance!  READ MORE

One of the most requested help topics I get from dance students is how to turn.  Whether it be how to nail multiple spins in a bellydance routine or some basic swivels in a Ballroom partnership, turning gives people trouble!  Here’s the low down on getting “turned up!”

Turning Tips & Tricks
By Ziva Emtiyaz
One of the reasons why dance is so fun to do and so exciting to watch is because of its multidirectional quality.  Spins and turns make up some of the foundational elements of dancing.  They can be used artistically to visually accent a change in the music, to evoke a mood, or even to inspire the feeling of flight.  They can also be used... FULL ARTICLE HERE.  

It’s a great big world out there.   While I’d like to think I have a strong foundation of dance knowledge, there are new dance forms developing and older forms evolving that I don't even know exist.  Getting familiar with the Orange County and Los Angeles County Dance scene, I’ve seen the word “Kizomba” pop up on fliers promoting Salsa and Bachata events.  Kiz-om-what?! Read on to find out what I discovered about this emerging dance:

Social dancing in Orange and Los Angeles Counties has given me some amazing dance memories.  It’s also given me some dance moments I wish I could forget.  In any social setting there are unspoken rules that help us “play well with others.”  Good etiquette applies to the social dance world although it sometimes feels like the unspoken rules of the dance floor need to be spoken.  In fact, after a particularly uncomfortable dance night I fantasized about printing out a blog I wrote for Bella Ballroom Dance on Social Dance Etiquette and handing it out to dancers in need.  While I wouldn’t actually do that, I share the 411 here on successfully getting your social dance on…